After coming off a double-double in his summer league debut for the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night, Bahamian Kai Jones scored four points and pulled down seven boards as they fell 80-70 to the Sacramento Kings on Monday night at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Jones, who started at forward, had a tough night from the field, going one-for-five to shoot 20 percent. He was able to grab four defensive and three offensive rebounds in 29 minutes of play. However, he was able to score both of his free throw attempts. He also had one blocked shot.
Jones’ only make from the field came at the 1:02 mark in the second quarter. It was a putback dunk off a James Bouknight floater. That dunk forced the Kings to call a timeout as the Bahamian was able cut into the Kings lead 31-25.
The Kings led 31-27 at the half as the Hornets looked to pull themselves back in the game after being down by 10 points with less than three minutes left in the first half.
A 9-0 run by the Kings to open the second half proved to be what the Kings needed as they ran away 40-27 with 7:53 left in the third quarter. They went on to eventually win that quarter 24-21 to take a 55-48 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
In the end, the Hornets could not keep up with the Kings as they were outscored 25-22 with the Kings holding on and going into the win column.
With this loss, the Hornets are still looking for their first win of the MGM Resorts Summer League as they fall to 0-2.
On Sunday night, the 19th overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes of play in his debut on the NBA circuit. He also had one block and two assists. He was able to shoot four-for-10 from the field and was a perfect two-for-two from the foul line. In addition, he had some highlight plays as he had no mercy on the rim when he threw down some thunderous dunks.
The most memorable one which landed him on sports shows highlight reels came at the 6:20 mark in the fourth quarter. He caught a pass at the three point line, took two dribbles and dunked over a Portland Trailblazers defender from inside the free throw line. That slam dunk sent the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas into a frenzy.
In the end, the Blazers got the best of Jones and the Hornets with a 93-86 victory.
Next up for the Hornets will be a 3 p.m. showdown with the San Antonio Spurs at the Cox Pavilion on Thursday. That game will air live on ESPNews/ESPNU.
Bahamian and Kings player Chavano “Buddy” Hield was proud of Jones’ leap to the NBA. While training at the Kendal G.L. Isaacs National Gymnasium last week, he said its good for The Bahamas to have another player in the league.
“It’s a blessing. I always say that we are small and mighty. Seeing a guy like Kai Jones and where he came from and see how he plays with so much motor, energy and passion, we love that. He shows his roots and I like that about him. I know that he will keep on working and we all know that we have to keep our jobs. There is always the next six-feet coming in and try take your spot but it is a blessing. It is a great opportunity for him and I am excited for him and his family and The Bahamas.”
Also playing in the summer league is Bahamian Travis Munnings. He is on the Golden State Warriors’ summer league roster. They were also in action on Monday night, but he did not log any minutes in their 91-89 loss to the Orlando Magic.
Hield also spoke about his fellow Grand Bahamian playing in the summer league.
“I want to watch him too,” Hield said. “Hopefully he gets a chance to play. It’s a blessing. He has been working his butt off every year. Thank God he got a chance and I always tell him when you go out there play your role at an all-star level. He brings the energy and willing to defend so you will see him out there playing hard, so I cannot wait to watch him play.”
Munnings, who spent last season playing professionally in Portugal, has a chance to play again tonight when they take on the Toronto Raptors.
The post Jones, Hornets fall to Kings appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/jones-hornets-fall-to-kings/
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